Day 68 - The Garden
Moving meant purging, but it also meant accumulating. Since we moved to the farm. I had begun collecting items we could eventually use for various projects. Pallets were one of these items. I had very grandiose ideas for the wooden pallets. Besides being a staple of our barn’s storage capabilities, I considered pallets valuable assets to our future nature play area and a major resource for our vegetable garden.
Knowing the backyard space allocated for our vegetable garden had less than desirable growing soil, we decided to use raised beds throughout our garden. Starting off small, we decided to transform a few pallets into beds for some of our family’s favorite veggie staples like tomatoes and lettuce. Using my “measure once, cut twice” handyman skills, it didn't go quite as smoothly as I envisioned but I got the job done and was ready to add soil and get the seeds planted. Multiple trips to the store with a minivan full of soli left the van dirty and my back aching, but the workout was appreciated after a somewhat lazy winter.
As I get older, I am trying to become more of a green thumb while also gaining more enjoyment from the work and dedication it takes to create a successful and sustainable garden. The daily task of watering and occasional adventures in weeding actually became a more cathartic part of the farm routine. Throughout the first summer, we continued to add to the garden with items we found like clearance berry plants and items that were donated like potato plants. Our first harvest didn't reach the levels we had hoped, but we were able to feed some of our wild friends who came to visit and look for a snack.
With time, experience, and patience, we look forward to future expansions. We are hoping to add lots of berry plants, beans that can climb up our fences, and a plethora of tomatoes and peppers. Growing and maintaining a garden will help us teach our children many different lessons. Hopefully, it will also create a more sustainable crop harvest for our family and our animal friends.
Especially one very important family we love seeing every day.
